CROSS IT UP

Well....last weekend I was hoping to go to MI, visit some old friends, and hit up the first 2 UCI cross races. It didn't happen. This weekend it will happen at Lapham Peak State Park. I'm planning on heading to Fall Color Fest on Sat. then stay in Madison Sat night then race cross Sunday! The new bike is ready to rock!























One last shakedown tonight 5:00 PM at BIKE N SKI....it's official from now until it's too dark to ride a group is meeting at the shop at 5:00 and heading to various parks with portable barriers! C'mon down, up, over, and cross it up with the best in the state. When it gets too dark we'll move the time to 4:00PM!



Anyboday need a THULE Rack for the car...I have one for sale from Chequamegon...send me an e-mail brimatter@hotmail.com



Also for SALE !!!



Have a great CX Season!

Baked

It was a tough race for me mentally. After the big mental prep for Chequamegon I hadn't even thought about Iola until I got in the car to drive there...that's not the way to win races...

Earlier in the season I completed the same course 3:30 minutes faster...I don't think it has anything to do with fitness....

Next up is Sheboygan...a race I have wanted to win for some time now....I have been close many times, maybe this can be the year...especillay now that Darkness is clouding my 2nd place overall finish.

Next up for me is trip over to the southern kettles for Fall Color Fest w/ Andrea on saturday and the first WCA cross race of the year on sunday.

Thanks again to Rusty....he is really the man for hanging out every other Sunday and snapping hundreds of photos. The picture of Sue Juedes on the WORS board is pretty sweet lookin...check it out...->

Kickin' It

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Kickin' It Old School.....a new release with Jamie Kennedy that is a must see.

With the old school on my mind and the mullet making a mean comeback I figured it was time to do another Old School Update. A couple days after the race I called up my coach TJ Woodruff at Momentum Endurance and he had already made the journey down to Tucson. It made me jealous of the old days when I could train full time and did not have to work.

So here it is...How I got fast....not indoor smores!

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In 2 words....Klement Capliar (pictured above w/ the sister in-law)

Many of you know Klement from his time here in Wisco when he brought the 3 riders from Slovakia to the WORS series in 1998. At this time Klement was also working with Hayes? He was also a coach at the Olympic Training Center in the mid 80's.

I ran into Klement at a Norba in 1998, then we crashed at his place at the MTB World's in Mt. Ste. Anne. He had some of the best wild mushroom soup going that night. Later that year Klement was at the Iceman and I almost won the race....he must have been impressed and later contacted me and invited me down to Tucson for a training camp in January of 99.

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Also down in Tucson were 2 riders from the Czech and 1 from Slovakia and Skyler Reeves. Petr Steinbech, Libor Valenta, and Vojto Bachleda were their names. Vojto was 2nd place at the Junior World Championships 2 times. One for MTB and one for cross. Not bad company for some serious training rides. For 3 months straight we pounded base miles, motor paced, and did Team Time Trials. Every afternoon it was out for another ride...sometimes power building intervals sometime spins. We averaged 20 hour weeks and for the first month my legs were sore every day....eventually the body adapted and I went from a mid pack senior expert to winning the Cactus Cup as a Semi Pro.

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My experience down in Tucson was one of a kind....awesome riding, Klement was a great chef so we ate incredible meals, and my fitness increased by 10.

After the year with Klement I moved back to Tucson with some friends from MI. Derek Precthl, Jason Karewm and Daryl Saul from OH. We did our best to duplicate the training with Klement and had a blast doing so. Miles, Miles, Miles, and finally some results. Still to the day the results that I am most proud of...finishing 17th overall at Sea Otter in a Euro littered field, and winning The Tour of the Gila as a Cat II.

Here is a sneak peak at my 2000 training diary.

4,000 miles by April! DO that for a four or five years and I can guarantee you will gain some fitness and race faster....if that's what you are into.

Can't wait to do it again...maybe this winter now that Andrea is finished with school?

TWO 4 TWO

Another Chequamegon FAT Tire Fest in the books. Here is my take on the race....



I was having one of those days...I felt very little pain...my preparation was spot on....and I just missed out on the victory. The Trek Top Fuel was flawless and is still in my opinion the best bike to ride for stop 2 of the Triple Crown.



The start was the same as always....got yelled at but managed to back it in and claim my spot on the front row.



















I lined up next to Lemond who was scary to say the least. Big crashes on the pavement and in Rosies. First of the favorites to be gone was Simonson. His bad luck at Chequammy continues...




















A group of 12 established on the Birkie....No Jesse, No Tristan, No Tandem



Hwy OO- I was more than Comfy in the group...Jesse & Marko had bridged, Doug was gone.


























Firetower- The group was set - Tilford, Jesse, Jeff Hall, Cole House, Woodruff, T. Brown, Myself, Marko, Chris P, Mike P, Ian Stanford, Bill Stolte...I followed T Brown up the climb...maybe a mistake watching him struggle on the cross bike w/ cross gears and skinny tires while a small gap opened, but I wasn't worried and followed T Brown as he closed the gap on the descent. Woodruff flats in the descent.

























Birkie - T Brown gave it one good dig on the cross bike, but it didn't happen. I thought to myself, "What would Doug do in this situation..." So I attacked....Tilford was on my wheel and said we had a gap...he pulled through...I looked back...the gap was closed...I gave it one more shot...another gap, but again it was short lived.



Finish - I made two mistakes at the 07 Chequammy....heading into the Telemark trail with 2 miles to go....Jesse, Tilford, Cole, Travis and Myself...not sure who was behind me...the rollers, the gap...Cole opens it up and I watch Jesse and Tilford ride away as I struggle to get around T. Brown and Cole....I bridge to Tilford who says, "Go Brian I'm blown" I look up see Jesse...pedal hard...last climb....catching him...too late...happy with 2nd. Should have been on Jesse's wheel as he was the man to beat.




















Andrea rocked the race also....22nd overall 6th in age and 17 minutes faster than her last Chequammy....she also climbed the Seely Firetower for the first time ever!





























UP NORTH HAVING FUN!!! - From the man himself -

"Year of the single speed?: Arguably the year of the hair or better yet the mullet. With Matters inspiration both Marko and captain tandem threw down a mean waterfall. In respect for the Northwoods these were the boys who truly shined. To you I raise my blaze orange podium hat!"

























What about the year of Jesse "LALONDO"...Doug had his in 03....I had mine in 04....so hats off to Jesse for this amazing 07 season.


Wisco Worlds by the numbers - Here or play me here -


2nd mistake of the race....the advertising, the marketing, the BLUE BUNNY??? Never skip over Ben & Jerry's when it comes time to Triple Crown race prep...


























Thanks to all who have helped throughout the year...PCW, TREK, Hyundai, OAKLEY, Crank Bros

Thanks to all who come and spectate, cheer, and take awesome pictures.

CHEQ POST RACE

2nd Place!

I was pretty happy and had a great race.....

Jesse took the victory!

check out itiming for full results....

ps stay tuned for the best mullet picture yet!

Fat Tire Time

A quick History of my Chequamegon

















2003 3rd place...blown out of the water by Swanson! Happy to be on the podium!





















2004 1st place! How did I beat Tilford when he was so far ahead of me in this picture.

























2005 7th place - The Tandem - The Train - The Pain





















2006 4th Place - I was really bummed to miss the podium after Jeff rode away from us at the end.

2007?

Grassy Turns

Yep another version of Sunburst Showdown is in the books. I didn't have the greatest race in the world, but not the worst either. After an OK start I was mentally ready to give 'er up the climb on Lap 2. I did, no problems, but then on the easy part of the lap I fell asleep. I let a 2 second gap turn into a 7 second gap, Marko finally went around me and I couldn't respond. Mike went around me and if it wasn't for a big push from Tristan I might have finished 30th. I pushed through a little pain, but I was riding in no mans land. 5 in front of me and a group of 3 or 4 chasing. On Lap 4 I couldn't see the leaders, but I saw Chris P with his big smile getting closer and closer. Something in my head flipped the switch and I started racing again. I was able to real back and passs Mike P and if the course had been another 1/4 mile I would have had to outsprint Tristan. Travis almost got his first ever WORS victory, but came up a bike length shy. Congrat's to Jesse who won his 6th straight WORS race and locked up the overall. What an Animal!




The sunburst course was so fast I felt like my brain was smashed to the back of my head.

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Speaking of Grassy Turns....racing at Sunburst is the perfect transition for cross season. I am slowly getting the new bike dialed...here are a few secret photos.

I'm still not sure what cross race will be first on the schedule...Thinking about Michigan UCI now that WORS overall is out of the question.

Or maybe some WCA and a trip to CINCI to visit mom and dad.

Before I start too much cross season planning I have to focus on this #2.

WORK

Yep, Back at it and working hard...updating the blog. The weekend was awesome. It started with a great cyclocross practice on Sat. 4 hour solo training ride on Sunday w/ cross tires, and 4 hours on Monday with a small group. The group ride was cool, I don't do too many of them because of the erratic speeds, but this time it was nice and steady. I was on the cross bike w/ road tires and just set a nice tempo at the front of the group with Tristan the entire time. I think the rest of the group was content with just sitting in and enjoying some secret training roads in Sheboygan county. Overall the weekend should be some excellent prep for cheq fat tire.

We have been working on a new Bike N Ski website so you should check it out...kind of based it off of the Athens Bike website becuase those guys rock...this weekend is another WORS race time to rest up...then go fast...also maybe time for another old school update...stay tuned

Aahhhhhhh

It's been pretty nice to relax all week and not have to think about racing. In fact all I have to think about is what I am going to do when I have two days in a row off from work. That hasn't happened in a long time. The last 5 weeks were tough racing every weekend and I'm finally feeling recovered. I built up the new XO2 Thursday and was out yesterday doing a little cross practice. I have been able to commute to work 2X this week and it was awesome. Mad props for this theory

Today we had every Bike N Ski employee commute via bike to work~!

After work we are all headed to Evergreen Park for the first official cross practice....it's that time of the year so get ready for some barriers.